New Smashwords Feature: View Most Downloaded Books

We added a simple new feature at Smashwords - you can now view books by the most downloaded.

Surprise surprise, the most popular downloads are free, followed by name-you-own-price books.

Romance, especially erotic romance, is hot.

Also interesting: Each of the top 10 most downloaded books are under 10,000 words.

The #1 most downloaded is the Smashwords Style Guide, popular with authors and publishers preparing to upload their books to Smashwords.

Coming in at #2 is 101 Degrees Farenheit, a steamy erotic romance by Eva Gale, who, as you can see below, holds three of the top ten spots. Eva's performance speaks to the power of multi-title publishing. A reader finds one book they like, then they search out other books by the same author. E. Patrick Dorris has benefited from same with his popular John Smith, World Jumper series.

Here are the rest of the top 10:

#3 - John Smith, World Jumper Book One: Portal to Adventure, Part One by E. Patrick Dorris

#4 - The Seduction of Gabriel Stewart by Eva Gale

#5 - The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide by Mark Coker

#6 - Unforgiven Pleasure by Tempest Knight

#7 - Heart Spell by Cora Zane

#8 - Hannah's Choice by Selena Kitt

#9 - HYSTERIA by Eva Gale

#10 - Awakening by E.D. Beale

From the Smashwords home page, you can also view the most downloaded by category. Just click on the category links on the left, then click "most downloaded."

In the Mystery and Detective category, for example, the top two most downloaded books are The Evil That Men Do by Catherine Mambretti and Absence of Faith by Anthony S. Policastro

The most-downloaded option is just the latest in what will be ongoing incremental enhancements to the Smashwords Community Filter, our system of allowing readers to decide what's worth reading. For my post last month on this topic, click here: Smashwords Community Filter.